Coniglio alla L'Indiano di Venezia

This dish is a combination of the cultures. Since Venice was such a big port for the spice trade, many of the flavors from India made their way into the dishes of Venice. this is an upscale take on a dish that might be made by an Indian living in Venice. Some of the flavors in this dish don't seem quite Italian, yet certain parts of Italy really have adopted the different spices and made them part of the cuisine.

Serves 2

TT = to taste

For Rabbit:
1 Rabbit, loins and rib section only
Garam Masala Spice Rub (preferably homemade)
TT Salt
olive oil

Method:
trim the silver skin of the loin piece
cut around each rib to remove any fat or meat
use butchers twine, wrap around the individual bones and slide off tip to remove any excess fat left on the bones
tie the loin to the bottom of the rib section to create a frenched rack look
repeat with other section so you have two racks of rabbit
cover the racks with the spice rub mixture
allow to marinate for a couple hours
season racks with salt
heat olive oil in medium saute pan over med-high heat
once just smoking, add the racks flesh side down to brown
flip over after a couple minutes and transfer to 350F oven for a couple minutes to cook through, shouldn't take any longer than 5 minutes in oven

For Vegetable:
1 head Radicchio, cut into 8 pieces, core still intact
1 cup fresh Orange juice
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2T olive oil
TT salt
TT pepper

Method:
heat the olive oil in pan over med low heat
add the garlic and saute until softened and just turning the lightest golden brown
add the radicchio and saute for 1 minute
add the orange juice and cook until the orange juice has reduced by about 75%
radicchio should be nice and tender
season with salt and pepper

For Sauce:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
juice of 1/8 of a lemon
1t grated ginger
pinch of chili flakes
TT salt
TT pepper
ice water

Method:
combine mint, cilantro, lemon juice, ginger and chili flakes in food processor
while running slowly pour in a little of the ice water until sauce is pesto consistency
season with salt & pepper and set aside until ready to use

Finish:
While cooked rabbit racks are resting add the radicchio to the pan that the rabbit cooked in to heat through and pick up extra flavor
transfer the radicchio to individual plates
top the radicchio with the racks and serve with the mint pesto
serve immediately